A Qualitative Exploration of Prisoners’ Strategies for Coping with Food Insecurity in Prisons in Kinshasa, DRC

Background: Contravention of prisoners’ basic human rights, over-crowding, poor living conditions, food insecurity, disease and lack of access to medical care in prisons constitute a serious public health concern in many low-income countries in Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study aimed to explore prisoners’ experiences of food insecurity and strategies prisoners employ to overcome food insecurity in two prisons in Kinshasa, DRC.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among 31 prisoners, both men and women. In-depth interviews were conducted in N’dolo and Makala prisons by two researchers in the local language (Lingala). For security reasons of prisoners interviews were not audio recorded, however, interviewers took thorough notes during interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze dataResults: Prisoners in both prisons described experiences of food insecurity. Food was normally served once a day, late in the afternoon. Prisoners complained about a monotonous diet, and that the food was of poor quality, inadequate quantity, and was unhygienically prepared. Most prisoners relied on outside support from family and friends for food provision, but those who did not have such support endured hunger and severe food insecurity. Prisoners employed different coping strategies to manage their hunger, which strategies they described for less severe, severe and very severe food insecurity depending on what they had to do to survive. Strategies included prisoners sharing food with each other, drinking water throughout the day, selling their belongings to buy food, begging food from visitors, looking for food in rubbish bins, or exchanging sex for food.Conclusion: Urgent attention is needed to improve nutrition and living conditions in Congolese prisons. All stakeholders need to formulate a comprehensive plan that will address issues faced by prisoners and improve their quality of life. Regular inspection of prisons is essential to ensure prisoners are treated fairly and their human rights are respected.